One Powerful Yamaha Synth with 88 Graded Hammer Keys, Please!

Get your hands on the Yamaha MM8 synthesizer and you'll have everything you need to compose and perform. A huge range of MOTIF voices, expressive controls, patterns for instrumental backing (drums, bass, chords), one-touch arpeggiation, and a full 88-key Graded Hammer Standard keybed give the MM8 versatility and flexibility in the studio and out. Play any style of music and enjoy having total control over your sound.

MOTIF Sounds Become Yours

The MM8 borrows its 418 dynamic voices from Yamaha's professional MOTIF series of instruments. Strike any key to play the voices straight, as they are, or manipulate them in real time with four control knobs. Have fun changing the filter cutoff and resonance settings for real-time texture shifts, or try adjusting the EG attack and release to alter the overall feel of the voice. In addition to a quartet of control knobs and 88 piano-like keys, the synth provides both pitch wheel and modulation wheel for extra expression.

Arps and Patterns to Inspire Your Songs

There's something uniquely cool and synthy about arpeggios, and the MM8's Arpeggio feature makes it very easy to add that special sauce to a song. Use the synth's arpeggiator to trigger repeating rhythmic phrases, riffs, broken chords, and melodic patterns automatically; or use it to change them harmonically according to the notes or chords you play with your left hand. For instant songwriting inspiration, the MM8 comes with 213 different arpeggio types, including bass arpeggios and Drum Voice rhythm loops for setting up accompaniment riffs and beats.

Speaking of beats, the MM8 comes loaded with a full set of drum kits and patterns for instant rhythmic backing in a variety of music styles, including hip-hop, rap, R&B, dance, ambient, pop, rock, jazz, and world styles. Apply digital effects, including 25 reverbs and 30 types of chorus, to your music to further sweeten the deal.

Weave all those voices, arpeggios, and rhythms into a complete track and save it right to the MM8, USB memory stick, or thumb drive. You can record up to five user songs directly to the MM8 or store up to 400 songs externally, via the rear panel's USB terminal. You have the option of saving songs in SMF (Standard MIDI File) format for use on any SMF-compatible device, including DAW software.

Performance Memory

With this instrument, you have the freedom to change your mind about any of your sound settings, in the middle of a performance or recording. Each of 64 performances (8 banks of 8 each) can remember combined settings for all the voices, patterns, or anything else you want to use during a song. The MM8 makes it easy to select any of your stored settings during a jam, live performance, or recording session -- just hit a button and you're there.

A Synth that Plays Like a Piano

Yamaha's MM8 goes beyond the standard for performance synths, with a full Graded Hammer Standard keyboard with 88 piano-like keys. Designed to feel like a real grand piano, the GHS keys are weighted accordingly along the keyboard, so the keys weigh more in the lower range and become gradually lighter as you play through the upper range. The MM8 gives you the best of both worlds -- the natural playing feel of an acoustic piano and the sounds and control features of a synth.

Both Stage and Studio Friendly

Not just for gigging musicians, the MM8 finds its place in the studio alongside your recording gear and computer music system. For a compact recording setup, connect the MM8's USB To Host terminal to your computer with a standard USB cable. To help you get a leg up on production, the Yamaha MM8 comes with Steinberg Cubase AI 4 music-production software.

Product Description

Power and control: two elements that can make all the difference in your music, whether you compose, create or perform. Yamaha's MM8 Music Synthesizers deliver all the musical power and creative control you need -- and a whole lot more. Taking their sounds from the highly popular pro-level MOTIF series instruments, the MM8 has an enormous variety of dynamic, authentic Voices to help you create and perform in virtually any style of music.

This powerful instrument also gives you total control over your sound, letting you dynamically change sonic textures as you play with real-time tweakable knobs. Also built-in are special Patterns that provide full instrumental backing -- drums, bass and chords -- to accompany your live performance and song creation.

The full-length 88-key keyboard of the MM8 delivers natural touch and expressive control over the complete piano range.

Arpeggiator Madness

Generate some excitement, and tap into even more inspiration while you play with the Arpeggio feature. This lets you automatically trigger repeating rhythmic phrases, riffs, broken chords and melodic patterns -- and even change them harmonically by the notes or chords you play with your left hand. The MM8 comes with 213 different Arpeggio types built in, providing a variety of musically useful and exciting patterns to get the house jumping or to jump start your songwriting. Bass arpeggios and Drum Voice rhythm loops are included as well for setting up dynamic riffs and beats to jam over.

Tweak Your Sound

Once you've called up a synth Voice, you can simply play it as a static sound by pressing the keys -- or you can take it another level up, and tweak the sound while you play with the four control knobs. Make it sing and weep or make it scream and holler. Change the filter cutoff and resonance settings for real-time texture shifts, and tweak the EG attack and release to completely alter the dynamic feel of the Voice as you play.

Patterns for Jamming

Want some instant inspiration? The MM8 has a full set of Patterns that give you powerful rhythmic backing in a wide variety of music styles -- including Hip Hop, Rap, R&B, Dance, Ambient, Pop, Rock, Jazz and even World styles. These Patterns are just what you need to get your music moving in the right direction. What's more, these Patterns are as close to the real thing as you can get. Patterns that stay solidly in the groove, but never sound mechanical. Drum loops with a truly human feel that dance and float around the beat, yet remain firmly in the pocket. Riffs and licks that get you inspired, make you move, and help you create some serious music.

Piano-like Expressiveness: Graded Hammer Keyboard

Drawing on its long experience (over 100 years!) in crafting fine acoustic pianos, Yamaha has equipped the MM8 with a remarkably expressive GHS (Graded Hammer Standard) keyboard. If you're a piano player, you'll notice and appreciate the difference as soon as you touch the keys - the instrument feels and responds like a grand piano! The GHS keys are weighted more heavily on the lower notes and gradually become lighter as you play up the keyboard, giving you detailed expressive control over the sound.

Performance Memory

When you play live, you want to be able to make sound changes quickly - not just between songs, but right in the middle as well. The Performance Memory feature is the perfect tool for doing this, letting you seamlessly switch gears in the middle of a performance (or recording) and take things up a notch, or bring the dynamics down instantly. Each Performance can store combined settings for the Voices you want to use (including keyboard splits and layers), the Patterns you'll use for backing, and any other crucial settings you may need - then select them simply by pressing a single button. Up to 64 Performances (eight banks of eight each) can be saved to the instrument, and you can save even more to USB memory stick.

Song Creation and More

The MM8 is an ideal tool for songwriting and demo making. The powerful, authentic sounds of the MM series as well as its dynamic Patterns and Arpeggios ensure that your tracks sound completely professional. Up to five User Songs can be recorded to the instrument, and with the built-in rear panel USB terminal, you can store up to 400 Songs to a USB memory stick or thumb drive. In fact, the USB connection lets you store Pattern files, Performance settings and all other important data you've created, and then bring it to a computer for archiving and organizing. Songs can also be saved in the universal SMF (Standard MIDI File) format for use on any SMF-compatible device, including DAW software.

In the Studio

At home or in the studio, the MM8 can serve as the center of your music production system. Most of today's music is being made on computers and the MM series fits right into any computer music system. Just connect the USB To Host terminal on the instrument to your computer with a standard USB cable, and you've got a compact, yet full-featured recording setup. And just to make sure you get a head start, we've included a free copy of Cubase AI 4 - a sophisticated music production software that has all you need to record your performance data from the MM8 or MM6 via MIDI (and even use plug-in synthesizers in the software), edit the data, process the sounds with effects, arrange it in multiple tracks and perform final mixdown.

Cubase AI 4 Software Included

The Cubase AI 4 software bundled with the MM series Music Synthesizer harnesses the power of the Steinberg Cubase 4 digital audio workstation to provide a set of advanced software tools that are easy to use while delivering extensive recording and production capabilities. In addition to advanced audio recording and editing, Cubase AI 4 offers a range of MIDI sequencing capabilities, an entire suite of VST effect plug-ins, and a HALionOne sample player featuring selected waves from the famed Yamaha MOTIF synthesizers.

This review has been selected by our experts as particularly helpful.
"Best live keyboard for the money."

Sound:
The sound is excellent and the instrument has high quality and very usable presets. Some of the sounds can use a bit of tweaking to get them exactly the way you want them (to your personal taste)but all of the tools are there to do it. Being able to modify sounds live in real time is a GREAT advantage to being able to express yourself - with some practice this can be every bit as expressive as a sax or even a voice!
I have always been impressed with Yamaha and never had a single problem with any of them with the exception of one that arrived damaged and that was no fault of Yamaha. I am strongly considering switching my top keyboard to an MM6, I currently have a Yamaha Portable Grand above this but I love the expressive capabilities of this MM8 and it has everything I want in sound so I may end up with the MM6 also. Amazing instruments for the price.
Feature:
You have to buy a couple of pedals but both together are less than 100 bucks. I already owned pedals (other brands) that work for this.
Simple layout and well thought out. One feature I wish it had was a numeric keypad so I could go directly to the sound I want by entering it numerically. You have to hit a button and then use a dial to get to the sounds which can be a pain if you work in a band that hammers songs straight through with no breaks between - keeps you on your toes. Although this thing is plastic, it is high grade and tough stuff - I've never had a problem with any plastic Yamaha I've owned and I've owned many. I play for a living and the fact this thing is only 35 pounds is a godsend - the keyboard this replaced in my setup was over 80 lbs which felt like lugging a dead body at 3 in the morning.
The keyboard feels great, like an acoustic piano - the only downside is the keys do not snap back fast enough to do rapidly repeated notes and I do a lot of organ work that requires it. The MM6 will do it, the MM8 will not. My last weighted keyboard wouldn't either, nor will many acoustic pianos.
Ease of Use:
Well written manual - clear, to the point and well translated. No strange phrases that often pop up in manuals originally written in another language. Everything is intuitive and obviously written by, and for working musicians. Modifying sounds is easy and everything works the way you expect.
Quality:
For a light weight plastic keyboard it's tough as nails - built to stand up to years of road abuse. It will scratch up like any plastic product but will keep on ticking. With a little care, you'll still be playing this thing in ten years.
Value:
The very best at this price point - this is a better keyboard than anything I have tried for twice the money.
Manufacturer Support:
Yamaha is the best I've seen in support. The folks are well trained and know the products inside and out. I have never needed a repair on any Yamaha product but any time I have a question, they have the right answer.
The Wow Factor:
Not sexy, just smart. Smart is always better in the sack anyway so in that way I guess it's sexy. Other products might have a "wow" look that this lacks but with the lights off this ones gonna get you where your going with a lot more finesse. The sounds are sexy - from deep throated growls to breathy whispers in your ear, hard wood woodwinds and brass with a sass that reminds you of the finest, ask anybody who's played one.
Overall:
For a live keyboard, this is it. Other than the addition of more polyphony as an arranger/composer and a numeric keypad to speed sound changes on the fly I can't think of a thing this doesn't have that I want. I will end up with the top of the line MOTIF as a studio instrument but the is THE instrument for live shows. I've played everything out there and dollar for dollar Yamaha came close to perfect. They obviously listen to everything their customers say and keep making better products so I'll expect to see the numeric keypad on the next version - by then I'll be so fast at working this it won't matter. I'll keep this thing till it dies and buy the closest thing they have to it when it does.

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"Show me your pianist."

Sound:
The sounds are very good and high quality. The keys have fantastic action and are very expressive. This product gives you a huge sound bank to chose from.
Feature:
There is so much you can do with this. Besides being able to record your own songs into the machine, you can store them on external storage via usb or even use the mm8 as a midi controller. The product doesn't come with any accessories, but I did buy both optional foot pedals.
Ease of Use:
The manual is very helpful, if you read it there shouldn't be too much confusion.
Quality:
This thing is quality personified.
Value:
1,000 dollars is a pretty big price, but as with most things, you get what you pay for. Look around for deals. I've seen this as low as 869 dollars blemished.
Manufacturer Support:
I emailed yamaha a couple of times regarding using this machine as a midi controller. They answered promptly and sent me a direct link to download a driver.
The Wow Factor:
I played it once and had to have it.
Overall:
I'm pretty sure this unit will last me a long time. There's so much to explore and at its price point it was the most "realistic" feeling synthesizer I found during a trip to a local music sore. If it breaks I may get a new one, it really would depend if I had the cash on had.

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